Bully
by ROSSELLA1
Summary: An old enemy of Merlin comes to Camelot.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin, Arthurian mythology, or any of their characters.

"Well, if it isn't, _Merlin._" A voice drawled from behind him, and Merlin didn't need to turn around to see who it was. There was only one person who drew his name out like that, without any form of affection beneath the tone.

"Geoffery." The sorcerer replied stiffly, turning to look the other boy in the eyes. "What a surprise."

"Yes, isn't it?" Geoffery smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and cracking his neck. "Never thought I'd see you again." He glanced around. "So this is your big job then? Last time I passed through Ealdor they were saying you were the manservant of some Prince. Should have known you were just a stable boy."

"Actually." Merlin drew himself up. He still wasn't taller than the trader's son, but he could very nearly meet his eyes. "I am a manservant. To Prince Arthur." Damnit! Merlin had imagined this countless times; what would happen if he'd ever met Geoffery again; what Merlin would say to make the bully ashamed of how he'd treated Merlin. Why couldn't he think of those things now? And why did the reunion have to come when he was mucking out stables?

"Right." Geoffery chuckled. "Like a Prince would-"

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice rang out and, glancing up, the sorcerer saw his master making his way towards them.

'Please don't let Arthur be in a bad mood!' Merlin thought, tensing. The last thing he needed was for the Prince to lecture him in front of Geoffery. "Arthur!" Merlin went to intercept him. "Did you-"

"There you are!" Arthur exclaimed. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I was just mucking out the stables."

"Are you finished?"  
>"No." Merlin gulped. "I-I got distracted."<p>

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course you did. Well, forget about them for now. A white stag's been sighted in the eastern woodlands. The knights and I are going to ride out and- yes?" The Prince broke off, switching his gaze to over Merlin's shoulder.

Merlin flinched and turned to see that Geoffery had followed him. "Um...Geoffery, I'm sorry but I need to go."

"Don't be rude, _Merlin_." Geoffery sneered. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Oh," Arthur glanced at Merlin with a smirk, "I didn't know you had friends outside the castle."

Merlin knew that Arthur was just jesting with him, but the jibe stung all the same. The sorcerer must have let it show because he saw the Prince's eyes narrow in confusion. "Geoffery's actually more like an acquaintance-"

"Oh, don't be silly, _Merlin_." Geoferry drawled. "I'm Geoffery. We've known each other since we were children." He told Arthur.

"Prince Arthur." Arthur's eyes widened and he glanced at Merlin, then back at Geoferry who had dropped into a small bow and now rose. "I don't remember seeing you in Ealdor."

"That's because I wasn't. My father's a trader. We just pass through there every three or four months."

"Oh." Arthur trailed off, as if unsure what else to say.

"Well," Merlin took the opportunity to interrupt, "we must be going. Lots to-"  
>"Wait." Arthur smiled. "Merlin, the knights, and I were just about to go hunting. Why don't you join us?"<p>

Damn, Arthur! Merlin growled. "I'm sure Geoffery has-"

"It would be an honor!" Geoffery accepted with another bow. "How can I turn down an invitation to hunt with the Crown Prince?"

"Excellent!" Arthur clapped Merlin on the shoulder. "Prepare a horse for Geoffery, yourself, and me. We'll leave as soon as everyone's ready."

"But, Arthur-" Merlin tried to protest, but the Prince had already turned away and was now walking towards the armory. With a sigh, Merlin slowly faced Geoffery.

"Well?" The other boy leered. "Shouldn't you be doing what your master ordered?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin, Arthurian mythology, or any of their characters. Oh, and I combined a few of the traditional kelpie legends and my own imagination to create this version.

Half an hour later, they set out. Arthur took his usual place, in front, with Merlin at his side, and the Knights behind them. The boy, Geoffery, insisted on riding up front. It was annoying, not being able to talk with Merlin as freely as Arthur usually did; but the Prince saw no valid reason to send Geoffery away and the young man _was_ Merlin's friend. And Arthur supposed he owed Merlin after that friend comment earlier.

Damn, Merlin had taken that hard! The Prince hadn't meant anything by it, but his manservant had barely spoken since then. Geoffery talked. Geoffery prattled on so much that Arthur was tempted to poke the boy's horse when no one was looking, just to get rid of the trader's son. But Merlin just rode in silence, only speaking when a question was asked. The Prince supposed that if he had upset Merlin this much, the least he could do was to put up with Geoffery for one day.

"You know," Geoffery was saying, "being a trader, my father and I move around a lot. However, sometimes he lets me stay places to see if we can make money there. I like Camelot. Maybe he'll let me stay for a couple of months."

At this point Arthur had to restrain himself from telling the boy just what he thought of that. Luckily, Merlin had chosen this moment to fall from his horse, and Arthur was saved from responding. "All the time we've been together and you still can't stay in your seat." The Prince snorted, halting his horse and leaning forward to offer Merlin a hand.

"Haven't you realized?" Geoffery sneered. "Merlin's incompetent at everything!"

The Prince paused and glanced up at the trader's son, eyes narrowing in confusion. The boy didn't sound like he was jesting with Merlin. What an odd way to treat a friend. Then again some of Arthur and Merlin's comments to each other might sound cruel to an outsider. Could this be the same thing?

"Sire!" Sir Belvedere exclaimed in a hoarse tone, jolting Arthur from his thoughts.

Arthur turned to his knight and saw that the man (along with the other knights) was staring off to their left. Following the man's gaze and the Prince's eyes widened. He straightened up, all thoughts of helping his manservant forgotten. Across the clearing, seated astride a white horse, was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her hair was a deep black, her eyes a piercing blue. And her lips…oh, Arthur was damned if he'd ever seen any that looked softer, pinker, more inviting.

The woman met Arthur's gaze and laughed. The sound! It was like the sound small waves made when they washed against a wall and bounced back in on themselves. The Prince had never realized how lovely that sound could be until the woman laughed. As if that wasn't enough. Arthur thought his heart would explode when the woman opened her mouth and actually spoke.

…..

"Greetings, Arthur Pendragon. What brings you and your men out so far into the woods?"

Warning bells went off in Merlin's brain at the words and he forced himself to look away to prevent himself from being taken in by the lady's beauty. He glanced at his companions and saw that not a single one of them had his mouth closed and none of them seemed to be aware of anything but the woman. Something wasn't right here. "Ar-"

"We have heard tale that the white stag is in these woods." Arthur replied, not even sparing a glance in Merlin's direction. "But now we have found a far greater treasure."

The lady laughed. "It is as well. For I have lived in these woods my whole life and have never seen the white stag." She patted her horse's neck. "Perhaps it was a glimpse of my horse that people saw. He is as white as any white stag and from a distance could be mistaken for one."

Merlin steeled his nerves and allowed himself a glance at the horse, and when he was able to hold the urge to stare at it, included the woman in his gaze. It was then that he noticed that both the horse and the woman were dripping water.

"He's a fine horse, isn't he?" The lady was saying.

"Yes." Arthur replied in a dreamy tone.

Merlin wracked his brain. He'd read about this somewhere. Just the other week. 'Let's see a woman and a horse…having a hypnotic effect on men…all wet, and-

"You'd like to pet him-"

"ARTHUR, DON'T THEY'RE KELPIES!" Merlin shrieked grabbing the heir to the throne, just as Arthur had begun to raise his arm.

The woman leapt off the horse with a snarl, her lips pulled back to reveal dagger-like teeth. The horse itself reared and displayed a similar set of teeth, while the knights were jolted from their enchantment.

Arthur blinked in astonishment his hand instinctively going to his dagger. "Wha-"

Merlin grabbed the knife from his own belt and swiped it across the lady kelpie's face as she leapt towards the Prince, eliciting a howl of pain. The rest of the men leapt to action, throwing spears and jabbing their knives at the creatures. That, of course, only made them back up a bit.

"Don't let them touch you!" Merlin shouted. "And if you can, try to grab the horse's bridle! It's the only way to win!"

….

If the knights heard Merlin, no indication was given. Then again, they were too busy fending off the creatures to reply. One thing for sure was that Geoffery heard him. The young man had been crouching on the edge of the fight, trying not to draw attention to himself. But when Merlin had made the announcement, the trader's son had realized that this was an opportunity for fame. He waited until both kelpies were looking at Arthur and his knights, then began to creep forward.

Geoffery was almost there, he could see the bridle as clear as day. He'd just leap forward and- One of the horse kelpie's eyes rolled towards him, pinning him to the ground in fear. The beast wheeled on him, giving a cry of anger. It reared in the air and Geoffery grabbed the nearest dispensable thing and pulled it in front of him as a shield.

…..

Merlin had been trying to use magic to direct the men's spears without drawing attention to himself. Unfortunately, the kelpies being creatures of magic, none of the spears gave significant damage. The fight had been going on for a minute when he felt something grab his arm and pull him away from Arthur's side. The sorcerer found himself staring into the eyes of an enraged kelpie. Before he could react, however, Arthur darted between him and the kelpie and, grabbing its bridle, drove his sword into the kelpie's heart. There was a screeching sound that was, presumably the kelpie's death cry. Then there was a flash and the kelpie exploded, its innards spewing over everyone and everything nearby. The female kelpie gnashed her teeth and hissed before dashing off into the forest, apparently deciding to recuperate.

"Back to Camelot." Arthur ordered tersely. "We need to inform my father of this attack."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin, Arthurian mythology, or any of their characters. 

Arthur paced forth and back across his room. He had been through the meeting with his father and they had agreed that it was best to have Gaius find everything he could on kelpies before acting any further. In the meantime, he had to do something he _really_ wished he didn't have to do. The Prince winced as the door opened.

"You wanted to see me?"

Arthur turned towards the doorway and his manservant. "Yes, Merlin." He replied stiffly. "Take a seat." He gestured towards the table. 'It has to be done.' He told himself.

"I'm allowed to sit in the Prince's presence?" Merlin grinned, cocking an eyebrow. "What a-"

"Just sit down." Arthur ordered, jabbing his finger towards the chair. He'd thought long and hard about this and he'd be damned if he'd let Merlin's relentless cockiness sway him from his path.

The smile slid from Merlin's face. "What is it, Arthur? Have the kelpies-"

"No." Arthur shook his head. "This doesn't have anything to do with the kelpies." He paused, thoughtfully. "Well, actually it does, but not in- Just sit down!" The other boy silently obeyed and Arthur allowed himself a small smile; now things were back to the way he'd planned them. "Now, Merlin. I want to talk to you because recent events have concerned me and I think an intervention is needed." He made a mental note to thank his father for forcing him to memorize speeches. "I am well aware that who you choose to associate with in your free time is not my choice, but as your master and Prince it is my duty to protect and advise you." His servant was staring at him with concerned and inquisitive eyes and Arthur found he couldn't quite meet the gaze. He turned, to face the wall, glancing at Merlin's reflection in the decorative shield to judge his friend's reaction. "I-I…I'm glad to see that you have friends outside the castle. It's not that I object to that… but I must forbid you from ever seeing Geoffery again." There, Arthur breathed; the worst part was over.

…..

"What?" Merlin asked, his voice abrupt. When Arthur had sent for him, he'd expected to be asked to perform some chore, not to be ordered… "I don't understand."

"Merlin." Arthur stated firmly, turning back to face the sorcerer. "Your relationship with him is not healthy. He insults you and he used you as a human shield. Now because he's your friend I haven't-"

"He's not my friend!" Merlin interrupted, shaking his head.

"I know you're upset but- what?" The Prince broke off, staring at him in confusion.

Merlin gave a chuckle at Arthur's slightly open mouth. "Geoffery's not my friend." He repeated. "That being said, if I want to see him I will, no matter what you say. However, seeing as I've never _wanted_ to see him in my life, I don't think you need to worry."

"Oh!" Arthur paused as if unsure of how to continue.

"Well, if that was all," Merlin began, "I should probably get back to-"

"Wait. If he's not your friend then who is he?"

"He's just someone who used to pass through my village once in a while." The sorcerer waved a hand, rising from his seat. "I really should-"

"Sit back down, Merlin." Arthur said in a tone that brooked no argument. Grinding his teeth, Merlin obeyed. "Good boy." The Prince gave a small smirk. "Now, if Geoffery is just someone who used to pass through your village, then why isn't he your friend?

"Because." Merlin gave an exasperated sigh. Why did Arthur have to be so nosy? "He's no one." The last thing he needed Arthur to find out was about how miserable Geoffery had made him. There were somethings that Merlin just didn't like to talk about, and this was one of them.

"That's not very nice." Arthur scolded, mockingly. "After all, you make friends with everyone and thing you come in contact with, including my dogs. Are you saying Geoffrey's worth less than an animal?" The Prince looked so pleased with himself that Merlin wanted to hit him.

"I don't know." Merlin said, eyes darting towards the door. "I'll think about it and get back to you. But I need to get back to work-" If only Gaius would call on him to clean his leech tanks…

"I'm sure your master will understand." Arthur drawled.

"I don't want to talk anymore." Merlin stated firmly, getting up.

"Not so fast there-"

"DAMNIT! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE A PRAT EXCEPT WHEN I WANT YOU TO BE ONE?"

…..

Arthur flinched, taking a step back. "What?" It wasn't uncommon for Merlin to raise his voice at the Prince, but to go from a mild talking tone to a thundering shout…

His manservant's eyes grew to the size of horseshoes. "I-I…Arthur! I didn't mean to…that is I… I'm sorry I…"

But the Prince had recovered and now took a step towards Merlin. He squared his stance into a more authoritative one and looked at his friend with firm eyes. "Merlin. I am going to ask you once more and I want you to tell me the truth: Who is Geoffery?"

"I-I told you. He-"

"I'm not saying you're lying." The Prince continued gently. "But there's more to it than that." He paused. "Now, who is he? What did he do to you?"

"It's not important." His servant whined. "It was years ago and-"

"It's important because you're my manservant, and he put your life at risk today." Arthur stated. "I can't let that go unchallenged."

"Arthur." Merlin growled. "Please. Forget about it."

Merlin's tone was all Arthur needed to realize he had to keep pushing. They'd had fights before but never over something so seemingly trifling. If Merlin wasn't telling, that meant there had to be a good reason. "Merlin." Arthur repeated. "I'll give you one last chance. Tell me or I'll ask Geoffery."

"Wha-"

His friend flinched and Arthur felt a stab of guilt as he saw hurt flash in Merlin's eyes. 'It's for his own good.' The Prince reminded himself. "I told you Merlin." He replied quietly. "As your master and Prince, it's my duty to protect you. You've always tried to talk me out of relationships you knew were wrong for me; it's only fair that I do the same for you. It's what friends do."

"This is different, Arthur." Merlin pleaded. "Please don't make me tell. I'll never talk to or associate with Geoffery again. If he comes near me, I'll tell you or the guards. But please don't make me tell you."

But Arthur was resolved; if someone was hurting his servant, the Prince had to know who and how. Otherwise, how was Arthur supposed to protect Merlin? It wasn't as if his servant could protect himself! Just the thought of seeing Merlin's thin figure, standing paralyzed in front of the kelpie…Arthur gave a brief shake of his head. "I have to know, Merlin."

A hard glint came back into his friend's eyes. "No." Merlin said. "You can throw me in the stocks, make me do extra chores, or punish me, but you can't force me to tell you."

"Fine." Arthur replied stiffly, and went over to and opened the door. "Guards!"

He heard Merlin gasp. "Arthur, you can't really be-"

"You're Highness?" One of the guards asked, approaching with three others.

"Yes." Arthur cleared his throat. "There is a young man named Geoffery visiting Camelot. A trader's son. You are to find him and lock him in the dungeons un-"

"Arthur!" Merlin tugged at the Prince's sleeve. "You're making too big a deal out of this!"

The guards eyes widened and they tensed, as if awaiting orders to arrest _Merlin_, as well. But Arthur just shook him off. "Until I say otherwise." He continued. "If-

"Stop it!" Merlin begged. "This is getting ridiculous!"

"If his father or Geoffery asks why he is being detained, simply say that I wish to speak with the man."

"Arthur you can't-"

"That will be all." Arthur nodded and closed the door, turning back to Merlin. "See? I'm going to find out anyway."

"Geoffery's not going to incriminate himself." Merlin scoffed.

"Then I'll have to punish him as I see fit!"

"For what?"

"For attempted murder, Merlin!" Arthur snapped. "Where have you been for the past five hours?"  
>His friend stared at him, shaking his head. "You really are a prat."<p>

"So we've determined." The Prince rolled his eyes. "Now are you going to tell me or am I going to have to beat it out of Geoffery?"

Merlin's eyes narrowed. "If I tell you, you have to promise to let Geoffery go and forget about this whole thing."

"I can't promise that." Arthur replied stiffly. The truth was, he was aching to punish Geoffery for putting his manservant in danger and if he promised ahead of time, he'd be forced to let the prick go.

The other man seemed to study him for a bit, as if weighing his options. "Okay." Merlin said finally. "I'll tell you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin, Arthurian mythology, or any of their characters. 

Turning away from Arthur, Merlin dropped into a chair facing the wall. "Geoffery and I knew each other from a very young age. I don't know why, but he never liked me. I guess he always sensed something strange about me. "Merlin whispered the last part, but he heard Arthur shift behind him and a moment later the Prince took a seat next to him. The sorcerer shook his head. "I suppose the reason doesn't matter," he continued, his voice returning to normal, "because the result was the same. For about a week every few months, he'd do everything he could to make my life a living Hell." Merlin swallowed and spared a brief glance at Arthur before dropping his eyes back to the floor. "Since he was the son of the richest man any of us ever knew, most of the people joined in." He snorted, bitterly. "When Geoffery was in town, most of the people of Ealdor treated me like the scum of the Earth, then the moment he left I was suddenly one of them again!" He gave a shake of his head. "When we were children it didn't bother me so much; I could find a place to hide and wait until Geoffery and his father had moved on and it was mostly just name-calling. But the older we got, the more…physical. Usually it was just beatings and-"

"Just?" Arthur interrupted, his eyes wide.

Merlin glared at him. "First you're making me tell this and now you're interrupting. Make up your mind: do you want to hear this story or not?" The Prince muttered something about masters and servants and then fell quiet. With a sigh, Merlin resumed. "Like I was saying, usually it was just beatings…" He paused but there was no comment from Arthur. "But sometimes things got…a little out of hand." Shifting so that he was turned sideways in the chair, so he didn't have to look at Arthur's face, he took a deep breath and continued. "The last time I saw Geoffery… before today I mean…was worse than usual. Like I always did when he came to town, I tried to stay out of his way, but as time went on that became harder to do. One day, I was in the woods getting firewood and I heard a noise behind me. I turned around and Geoffery was there with rope. He had managed to gather a group of at least ten of the other villagers and had followed me out into the woods. I tried to get through them but they wouldn't let me by. I tried to laugh off the insults but they wouldn't leave me alone…" His voice broke into a whisper. "They tied my hands behind my back, tied a piece of cloth over my eyes and dragged me far out into the woods, around in circles, and then threw me to the ground. At first I tried to work my way free but every time I moved, someone would kick me so I stopped. It was over an hour before they got bored and left me out there and longer before I could work myself free." Merlin didn't mention that he could have done it sooner if he hadn't been so afraid that someone would see him use magic and he'd suffer from a lot worse than what Geoffery had in mind for him. "By that time it was dark. I knew the area well, but it was difficult to find my way home at night. If Will and my Mother hadn't come looking for me, I probably would have spent the night in the woods. But after that," Merlin glanced up, putting on a tense smile, "I was sent to Camelot and I met you."

…..

"So you see," Arthur heard his manservant add, Merlin's voice barely piercing through the cloud of rage, " you don't need to worry about me going near Geoffery again. I promise I'll stay away from him and you can just tell the guards to let him go and forget this whole thing ever happened."

"Oh, don't worry." Arthur replied coolly. "I'm not going to keep him in prison."

"Good."

"I'm going to kill him." The Prince rose, drawing his dagger from its sheaf. How dare that…that…_thing_ treat his manservant with such disrespect? And then to come back to try to finish the job…

"Wha-"

"You heard me." Arthur started towards the door only to be intercepted by his friend.

"You can't!" Merlin snapped desperately.

"I'm the Prince. I can do what I want." Arthur answered. There was no excuse for it; the thing deserved to die! The Prince softened his tone. "Don't worry, Merlin. I won't let him hurt you again."

"I don't want you to kill him!" Merlin pleaded. "I just want you to forget about this!"

"I'm sorry but I can't do that. Now move."

"No!"

"You don't need to tell anyone else. I'll just let my father know that Geoffery tried to kill you twice and that there's a high risk that he'll try something again." Dammit! What was wrong with his servant? Didn't Merlin realize that Arthur was doing this for his friend's sake?

"But he didn't!"

"You could have died, Merlin! He left you tied up and helpless in the woods where who knows what or who could have hurt you and then he used you as a human shield! If that's not attempted murder than what is it?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm alive. It's over."

"Yes it does matter because if it weren't for luck and me you would be dead." The Prince placed a hand on his servant's shoulder. "Don't think you don't matter just because you're a servant. If you died I'd have to train a replacement and you know how hard bad help is to come by these days!" He tried to subtly maneuver Merlin out of the way but his servant wouldn't have it.

"You can't move me, Arthur. I'm not letting you kill someone over me." Merlin tilted his chin up and folded his arms across his chest in an authoritative posture.

"Well, I can't just let this go unpunished. The Prince said in a triumphant tone. He hadn't wanted to play this, but if Merlin couldn't be reasoned with…"Geoffery's a danger to everyone in this kingdom. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. It's bad enough he hurt you but if I let this slide he could hurt others. You say he just passed through your village. How many other villages do you think he passed through? Do you really think you were the only victim? I'm the Prince; if I allow this to go unpunished, sooner or later Geoffery will seriously hurt someone. Maybe he already has. It's my duty to the kingdom to make him understand that he can't put others' lives at risk." Merlin bit his lip and Arthur could tell that his friend was wavering. The Prince gave a sympathetic smile. "I need to protect every one of my citizens; not just you."

"Okay." Merlin sighed. "I understand. But…you can't just…you can't kill him over this. It won't…no blood has been shed that we know of. Killing him wouldn't be right…if you stop to think about this you'd agree. I can't let you do that."

Arthur sized Merlin up. It would be easy enough for Arthur to push him out of the way, but Merlin was Arthur's friend and he had always given the Prince good advice in the past. Perhaps it would be best to listen to him this time. "Alright." Arthur decided. "I'll spend an hour thinking it over. In the meantime, my armor needs polishing, my sword needs the kelpie blood cleaned off, the dogs-"

"Arthur!" Merlin whined with a small grin on his face. "I thought you said I was your friend! Why would you make your friend-"

"It's wrong to tell lies, Merlin." The Prince turned, deciding to study his furniture instead of looking at his servant. "I never said you were my friend."

"Yes, you did! 'You've always tried to talk me out of relationships you knew were wrong for me; it's only fair that I do the same for you. It's what friends do.'" Merlin mimicked. "If you don't remember that maybe you should go see Gaius." He adopted a concerned look. "The Kelpie didn't hit you in the-"

"Merlin!" Arthur snapped. "It's you that needs your memory checked!" He hesitated and his expression softened. "Now go get us some lunch. It's been a long day."

The manservant smirked. "I thought you wanted your armor-"

"Just do it!" Arthur ordered in an exasperated tone.

"Yes, sire." Merlin chuckled and scrambled out of the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin, Arthurian mythology, or any of their characters. 

"Let me go!" Geoffery growled, throwing himself from side to side in an attempt to loosen the guards' hold. "My father will be very-"

"Your father has no legal weight in this Kingdom and you know it. " One of the guards sighed. "Look, if you really haven't done anything, just relax and I'm sure it'll turn out for the best."

Geoffery just snarled and yanked at his chains. Finally, he seized on the idea. "Prince Arthur!"

"What about him?" One of the guards scoffed.

"I just went hunting with him early this day. Go ask him! He'll tell you I'm an okay guy."

The guards shot smirks at each other over his head and laughed. "Fat chance! He's the one that gave the order for you to be arrested!"

…..

Arthur relaxed as the cell door opened. Finally he could get down to business. The guards entered, shoving Geoffery onto his knees in front of him.

"Your Highness." The guards bowed.

"Arthur!" Geoffery yowled. "Tell them I'm innocent."

The Prince waved a hand. "You may leave us alone." The guards bowed and departed.

"Finally!" Geoffery rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "You should really train- ugh!" The man gasped as Arthur aimed a kick into the bully's stomach, bringing Geoffery to his knees.

"Here," Arthur said, kicking the man onto his back, and setting a foot on his chest, "is how this is going to work. I talk. You keep your mouth shut unless I ask you something. "

"I don't-"

Arthur cut Geoffery off by moving his foot up to the bully's throat. "Breaking the rules already." The Prince shook his head. "Now, Merlin tells me that you weren't exactly nice to him growing up. Is that true?"

Geoffery blinked. "Merlin? This is because of _Merlin_? He's nothing but-"

"IS THAT TRUE?"

The other man bit his lip. "We may not have always seemed eye to eye but I hardly think that's a reason to react this-"

"What do you mean by not seeing eye to eye?"

Geoffery squirmed beneath him. "I …it was just squabbles…like every boy has."  
>Arthur pressed down with his foot. "That's not what Merlin told me."<p>

"He must have been lying."  
>Rage surged through Arthur and he stomped his foot down, breaking at least one of Geoffery's ribs. "Merlin is many things, Geoffery. But a liar is not one of them." The Prince chuckled at the thought. "He couldn't lie to save his life. So I'm going to ask you again: what happened?"<p>

"I swear, your Highness..." Geoffery begged. "I may have poked fun at him a bit but…"

Arthur sighed. At this rate it would take forever. He removed his foot. "Here's the problem, Geoffery. I know I can trust Merlin and what he told me isn't matching up with you say happened. Now, thanks to Merlin, you are getting a fair shot to tell your side of the story. So, I'm going to leave you here for an hour and let you think. When I return, I want you to tell me the truth. If you do not…" He trailed off and exited, locking the door behind him. "No visitors." He told the guards as he passed them and he left the room.

The Prince had started up the stairs when he ran into Sir Leon. "Your Highness!" Sir Leon bowed. "I was just coming to find you. Your father wants to see you in the throne room."

"Thank you, Sir Leon." Arthur smiled, adjusting his course. "I'll see right to that."

…..

"Arthur!" His father breathed as his son pushed the doors open. "Finally. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Obviously not everywhere, Father, or you would have found me." The Prince drawled. Taking his anger out on Geoffery had been extraordinarily therapeutic. He honestly hadn't felt better in weeks.

The King raised a brow. "Yes… well…" He gestured to a small man standing in front of his throne. "This is Simon. A merchant."

'Shit!' Arthur thought but kept his face straight.

"According to him," Uther continued, "his son…what was his name?"

"Geoffery." Simon spoke up and Arthur felt a twinge of pity for the man. It was obvious that the man cared for his son and was worried about him. "I asked the Inn Keeper if he had seen him and he said that he…" The man choked up "that Geoffery had been arrested." Simon swallowed. "Prince Arthur, is that true?"

Letting out a slow breathe, Arthur nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid it is."

"For what?" The merchant exclaimed. "I promise you! My son's a good boy! He's never done anything wrong in his life! I swear-"

Arthur felt a flare of anger surge through him. "A good boy? Do you-" He broke off at the stunned looks on both his father's and Simon's faces. Merlin had barely mentioned the father, so until Arthur learned otherwise, he had to assume that the father did not know about his son's activities. In a calmer tone, the Prince continued. "I apologize. That was uncalled for. Simon… there's no easy way to say this. Earlier today, Geoffery accompanied my knights, my manservant, and I on a hunting trip. We came across a pair of kelpies…dangerous creatures of magic. They attacked and as one charged at him, Geoffery pulled my manservant in front of him as a human shield. If I hadn't managed to kill the kelpie, Merlin would have died. I-"

"Merlin?" Simon interrupted frowning. "The peasant boy from Ealdor?"

"One and the same." Arthur continued.

"But he's never been friendly with my son!"

"I understand that, but be that as it may, Geoffery does not have the right to put his life at risk." The Prince fought to keep his anger from building up again.

Still, something in his expression must have shown because Simon changed his tone. "Of course, of course. But… Geoffery must have just been scared! He wouldn't do something like this otherwise!"

'Of course not!' Arthur thought sarcastically. Aloud, he said in a placating tone. "Very likely. But I still need to conduct an investigation. I will try to be as brief as possible."

"There!" Uther spoke up. "Now that's all settled. I'll have one of the guards escort you back to the inn." Simon didn't look like he agreed, but he merely nodded and the King gestured to a guard to lead him to the door.

Once the man was gone, Arthur glanced up at his father. "Will that be all? I have the investigation to attend to."

"Yes. You may go." Uther nodded. "You will be done in time for dinner, of course?"

"Of course." The Prince smiled. "I'll see you then." He gave a small bow and headed out of the room and up to his chambers.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin or any of it's characters. So, yes, you probably all think I died or forgot this story. Actually, it was writer's block followed by my laptop crashing, followed by business, followed by being interested in other fandoms, followed by...well, you get the picture. Anyway, here, at long last is another chapter. Concrit welcome.

When Arthur returned to his quarters, he was feeling quite pleased with himself. After all, he had no doubt that Geoffery would soon confess and Arthur could get on with punishing him and then Merlin would be safe. That feeling of pleasantness died when he saw that Merlin was already there and looking very angry.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, genuinely confused.

"You promised."

"Promised what?"

"You promised that you wouldn't hurt Geoffery!"

Damn! News traveled fast. "Mmm...no. I promised I wouldn't _kill_ Geoffery. Never said I wouldn't hurt him."

"You also promised you'd take time to consider a suitable punishment!"

"And I did. I waited an hour, like I promised. Then I decided to have him arrested."

"And beat him to a pulp?"

"Not quite to a pulp!" Arthur protested. "I just roughed him up enough to show him how serious things were!"

"You're the bloody Prince! You didn't need to beat him to show him that!"

"Maybe not." Arthur admitted. "But it felt good."

Merlin shook his head, looking at him with an expression of disbelief. "How can you say that? I'll admit he's a prat, but it's not as if he's a criminal. He just-

"He's a kidnapper and attempted murderer, not some innocent civilian!" The Prince snapped. Honestly Merlin of all people should understand this! He was Geoffery's victim!

"But he doesn't pose a threat to-"  
>"To anybody but you?" Arthur finished. "Merlin. We've been through this. You're a servant in my household and a subject in my kingdom. His crimes against you are mine to punish."<p>

"Then use some real punishment. Jail time, or being thrown in the stocks, or...something."

"I will!" Arthur promised. "I'm just giving him a chance to confess."

"What?"

"Well, since you're so hell-bent on letting Geoffery get away with things, I decided to offer him a choice. I asked him for a confession and, when he lied, I beat him and told him I'd give him some time to think it over. If I go back and he confesses, I'll show him some mercy. If I return and he still lies, he'll spend a good amount of time rotting in our dungeons." Merlin's face seemed to relax. "See? I'm capable of making just decisions on my own."

…..

Merlin couldn't help but smile. More often than not, Arthur's actions were influenced by Merlin's council. "Of course you are, sire. Provided I have some say in it."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you mean, Merlin."

Now, if only Merlin could get him to admit it. "Well, if I hadn't said anything you-"

"Would have arrived at the same decision."

"But-"

"I don't have time to listen to your inane prattle right now, Merlin. I promised Geoffery that I'd be back within the hour to hear his confession and that was a half hour ago. I'd like to rest a bit before I go back down there. You know how the dungeons depress me."

"Really? I can't say I remember-"

"Prattling, Merlin!" Arthur sighed, flopping face-down onto his bed.

"Very well." Merlin hid a smirk. "Prat." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"I asked if you wanted some rat?"  
>"That's what I thought." Arthur replied.<p>

"Well, do you?"  
>"No, Merlin. Now, if I fall asleep, wake me up in a half hour."<p>

"Yes, sire."

…..

When Arthur reentered the dungeons, Court Scribe in tow, Geoffery sat on his bench, head bowed. Upon Arthur entering his cell, he glanced up, ever so slightly, before letting his eyes fall to the ground.

"Have you come to a decision?" Arthur asked.

"Yes." Geoffery shifted in his seat.

"And?"

"Alright. It went beyond a few squabbles."

"So I've heard." Arthur gestured for the Scribe to begin writing.

"Merlin was always a bit odd. Always skulking about in places he shouldn't. Always around when odd things happened. And now he's gone and got me into this mess." Arthur grinded his teeth but decided to let Geoffery continue. He was only damning himself further. "When we were younger, I never liked him. Some of the other villagers didn't either. We'd beat him. Taunt him. But he never changed or had enough sense to stay out of our way. So, one day we decided to take things a bit farther. We blindfolded him, took him deep into the woods, and tied him up. We left him there. After that, I didn't see him again until today."

"Didn't you think that maybe he would die out there in the woods?"

Geoffery shrugged. "It wasn't my intention."

"What was your intention?"

"To make sure he learned his lesson. To stay out of my way. To stop being so...strange."

"And today?"

"I didn't want to die and he as the only man among us who was dispensable."

"You're wrong." Arthur spoke up. "No one is indispensable." He paused. "Do you have anything else to say?"

"No."

"Very well, then." Arthur stood to his full height. "Merlin has asked me to have mercy on you. Had he not, you would have been stuck in this cell for years. As it is, you are allowed to leave. I, Arthur Pendragon, do find you guilty of the attempted murder of a servant in the Royal Household. For this crime, you are banished from the city of Camelot." Geoffery made an anguished sound. "I suggest you use this as a chance to reform; create a new name for yourself. For if I hear tell of you harming any of my other subjects...well, Merlin will not be able to persuade me to show mercy." Arthur turned to the Scribe. "Take the transcript to my father and have him sign it."

"Yes, sire." The Scribe bowed, and left the cell.

"When the guards release you, you have until tomorrow night to leave the city. However, if I were you, I'd leave before then. I am hardly Merlin's only friend in Camelot and no doubt word has spread among the rest of the Knights." Arthur turned away. "And Geoffery? I happen to like Merlin's oddities."


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

By ROSSELLA1

Note: I do not own Merlin or any of it's characters.

"Good luck, Geoffery." Merlin said stiffly, handing the basket of goods he had prepared for the other man earlier that day.

Personally, Arthur didn't think Geoffery deserved that. The coward had no one to blame but himself for his banishment, but Merlin, of course insisted on giving charity to their enemies.

The man in question gave a tight smile, that was very near a grimace, and took the basket. He opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at Arthur. "I...Thank you." He eventually murmurred.

Merlin gave a nod and, after a moments silence, elbowed Arthur in the side. "And…"

"And," Arthur finished, shooting a glare at Merlin, "we hope that we meet on better terms, should we meet again."

"As do I, your highness." Geoffery replied, thin-lipped. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he restrained himself to a simple, "Goodbye." He loaded the basket onto his horse, before mounting and going on his way.

"I still think you're-"

"Unreasonable." Arthur sighed. "So you've said."

"He's one unethi-"

"Bully. One unethical, homicidal bully, who doesn't have a right to live." Merlin stared at him. "There can be no place for people who abuse their power in our Kingdom."

"Our Kingdom?"

"My Kingdom." Arthur amended. "Of which you play a crucial role. To threaten you is to threaten me."

"And what "crucial" role" would I play, oh wise Prince?"

"Dressing, bathing, feeding, cleaning up after, and in otherwise attending to the heir of Camelot."

"So in other words keeping you alive?"

"I wouldn't go quite that far."


End file.
